Moncrief joining Bucks' staff

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Sidney Moncrief played 10 seasons with the Bucks in the 1980s, averaging 16.7 points and 5.0 rebounds.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reaching into their past to bolster their coaching staff, choosing former all-star guard Sidney Moncrief to fill the position vacated by Kelvin Sampson.

A league source confirmed Wednesday that Moncrief would join coach Scott Skiles' staff for the 2011-'12 season.

Moncrief has stayed in contact with the organization and worked on several game telecasts last season, filling in for analyst and former Bucks guard Jon McGlocklin.

The 53-year-old Moncrief has some previous coaching experience, as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors when Don Nelson was the team's head coach.

Moncrief left the Warriors in January 2009 to take a consultant position with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Moncrief was a star on Nelson's Bucks teams during the 1980s and twice was named the NBA's defensive player of the year, during the 1982-'83 and 1983-'84 seasons.

He was the first recipient of the award for defensive excellence, setting a standard later emulated by Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, among others.

The 6-foot-4 Moncrief was the fifth overall pick by the Bucks in the 1979 draft and played 10 seasons for Milwaukee. After a year's absence, he played one more NBA season with the Atlanta Hawks.

He played in 767 NBA games and averaged 15.6 points while being named an all-star five times.

In his 10 seasons with Milwaukee, he averaged 16.7 points and 5.0 rebounds.

He ranks among the Bucks career leaders in many categories: third in points, second in assists, second in games played, third in steals and first in free throws and free throw attempts.

His No. 4 jersey was retired by the Bucks in 1990 and rededicated during a ceremony at the Bradley Center in 2008.

Moncrief will replace Sampson, who left to accept the top assistant's position with the Houston Rockets. Sampson was part of the Milwaukee staff for three seasons.

Lead assistant Jim Boylan is returning for a fourth season on Skiles' staff. Skiles and Boylan also were together with the Chicago Bulls, and Boylan was interim head coach of the Bulls for 56 games in the 2007-'08 season after Skiles was fired.

Also on the Bucks coaching staff are assistants Joe Wolf and Anthony Goldwire and player development coach Bill Peterson.